As I read this article, I thought it was pretty humorous that a priest in India was shocked when he was contacted for sexual criminal charges. This incident occurred six years ago and I assume that this priest believed he was off the hook. More frequently we learn about several priests who sexually assaulted young females or who have had sexual relationships.
It is necessary to take action and remove priests, like Rev. Joseph Palanviel Jeyapaul from the church. But, instead of doing this, the superiors of the church in India decided to send him to counseling and asked him to spend a year in prayer. I do not think this is the correct measure to take in such case. I understand that priests are human too, but if they want to participate in sexual relations, then they have not truly found God and should choose a different path in life.
Related posts:
- Resources on preventing sexual assault temporarily unavailable on College Web site
- Creating larger awareness of sexual assault at Mount Holyoke
- Priest teaches Women in Sport class
- Laurie Priest wins Pathfinder Award
- Awareness != Acceptance: overlooking sexual orientation
